IJS & Tracy Moncur Present The Unreleased Music of Grachan Moncur III

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Bradford Hayes and his group perform never-before-heard compositions of jazz legend Grachan Moncur II in a special Sunday concert

ABOUT GRACHAN MONCUR III

One of the first trombonists to explore free jazz, Grachan Moncur III is still best-known for his pair of innovative Blue Note albums (1963-1964) that also featured Lee Morgan and Jackie McLean on the first session and Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock on the later date. The son of bassist Grachan Moncur II, who played with the Savoy Sultans during 1937-1945, Grachan III started on trombone when he was 11. A native of Newark, he began sitting in with touring jazz musicians on their way through town, including Art Blakey and Jackie McLean, with whom he formed a lasting friendship. After high school, Moncur toured with Ray Charles (1959–62), Art Farmer and Benny Golson's Jazztet (1962), and Sonny Rollins.[1] He took part in two Jackie McLean albums for Blue Note in 1963, One Step Beyond and Destination... Out!, to which he also contributed the bulk of compositions. He recorded two albums of his own for Blue Note, Evolution (1963) with Jackie McLean and Lee Morgan, and Some Other Stuff (1964) with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter.

Moncur toured with Sonny Rollins (1964) and played and recorded with Marion Brown, Joe Henderson, and Archie Shepp, matching up with fellow trombonist Roswell Rudd in the latter group. He also was part of the cooperative band 360 Degree Music Experience with Beaver Harris. Grachan Moncur, recorded as a leader for BYG (1969) and JCOA (1974). Some of his associations were with Frank Lowe (1984-1985), Cassandra Wilson (1985), and the Paris Reunion Band.

Moncur joined Archie Shepp's ensemble,[1] and recorded with other avant-garde players such as Marion Brown, Beaver Harris and Roswell Rudd (another free jazz trombonist). During a stay in Paris in the summer of 1969, he recorded two albums as a leader for the BYG Actuel label, New Africa and Aco Dei de Madrugada, as well as appearing as a sideman on other releases of the label. In 1974, the Jazz Composer's Orchestra commissioned him to write Echoes of Prayer (1974), a jazz symphony featuring a full orchestra plus vocalists and jazz soloists.[1] His sixth album as a leader, Shadows (1977) was released only in Japan. He was subsequently plagued by health problems and copyright disputes and recorded only rarely. Through the 1980s, he recorded with Cassandra Wilson (1985), played occasionally with the Paris Reunion Band and Frank Lowe, appeared on Big John Patton's Soul Connection (1983), but mostly concentrated on teaching. In 2004, he re-emerged with a new album, Exploration, on Capri Records featuring Moncur's compositions arranged by Mark Masters for an octet including Tim Hagans and Gary Bartz.

Moncur died from cardiac arrest on June 3, 2022, his 85th birthday, at his home in Newark, New Jersey



ABOUT BRADFORD HAYES

A Clement's favorite, saxophonist Bradford Hayes has been a force on the jazz scene in the northeastern U.S. for many years now performing at a number of clubs, colleges and concert halls across the U.S. and Europe including Birdland, Tavern on the Green, the China Club, and the Beacon Theater. Bradford has performed or recorded in different musical settings with Gerald Alston, Yusef Lateef, Ted Curson, Michael Cochrane, Joe Lee Wilson, Jimmy Heath, Al Grey, Cecil Payne, Rufus Reid, Ray Bryant, Ben Riley, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Cecil Brooks III, Jerry Butler, and The Dells. In addition to leading his own band, Bradford spent 15 years with Babatunde Olatunji’s Drums Of Passion Band, serving as Musical Director for the last 3 years, until Mr. Olatunji’s passing.

Back by popular demand for the second time this season , Bradford brings his exciting quartet featuring Michael Cochrane - piano, Sen Raines - bass, Cornell McGhee - trombone, Gordon Lee - drums, Ben Frank - flute, and Silkay Carter - vocals to Clement’s Place for an evening of straight ahead, soulful jazz rooted in the tradition yet pushing beyond.